PRESS INQUIRIES
Katy Feinberg
[email protected]
Today, the Partnership submitted testimony on NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission item 22-03354, which would extend the permit for the Fearless Girl statue on Broad Street.
We write to support the permit extension for the Fearless Girl statue that will allow her to stay in her current location for the foreseeable future. Since she arrived in 2017, staring down the Charging Bull of Wall Street, Fearless Girl has become an inspiration for women and girls to challenge the history of second-class status of women on Wall Street. Now she stands in front of the New York Stock Exchange, which for the first time in history has a female president, making this a particularly poignant statement!
While there has been positive momentum elevating women in corporate America, we are still far from a level playing field. There are just 41 female chief executives in America’s Fortune 500 companies, and women make up only 27% of membership on corporate boards. Women currently own 42% of all businesses in the U.S. and the number of women-owned businesses has increased 21% since 2014. But women entrepreneurs win only 2% of the country’s venture capital investment and often lack the capital that is essential to success and growth.
Before Fearless Girl was relocated to Broad Street, tourists visiting New York mobbed the bronzed bull at the foot of Broadway embracing this emblem of American capitalism but clogging a very busy intersection. Today, parents from across the world bring their daughters to contemplate a vision of leadership that is inclusive of women, gathering on a street that is permanently closed to traffic and is surrounded by historic buildings, including Federal Hall.
Her presence in front of the New York Stock Exchange will continue to inspire women to break through the formidable barriers to equity and equality in our economy. We ask you extend the permit in this meaningful location to reaffirm the need for more women in corporate boardrooms and c-suites.